Key ring



Feb. 3, 1959 J. H. BACON KEY RING Filed Dec. 8, 1955 United StatesPatent KEY RING John H. Bacon, Wellesley Hills, Mass. ApplicationDecember 8, 1955, Serial No. 551,956

Claims. (Cl. 70-458) The present invention relates to a flexibleone-piece key ring adapted to be molded of a single piece of materialand used as a ring-like structure with one end interengaging the otherend.

One object of the present invention is to provide an improvedinexpensive key ring. readily manufactured from plastic material withoutany assembly requirements.

A second object of the present invention is to provide a key ringstructure, preferably made of a polyethylene material or materialpossessing similar resilient qualities in Which the resilient quality ofthe plastic material is utilized in the operation of the key ringstructure.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a key ringstructure made of an elongated length of plastic or similar material inwhich one end locks into the other end forming a self-enclosed ring withthe locking operation utilizing the torsional resilience property of theplastic material.-

Another object of the present invention is to provide an improvedplastic key ring structure of simple and inexpensive design. These andother objects and features of the present invention will be more clearlyunderstood when considered in connection with the accompanying drawingsin which:

Figure 1 discloses a fragmentary cross-sectional perspective view of theinvention,

Figure 2 illustrates a cross-sectional side view of the invention in alocked position,

Figure 3 illustrates a cross-sectional end view taken substantiallyalong the lines 3-3 of Figure 2,

Figure 4 illustrates a fragmentary perspective view partly in section ofa modification of the invention,

Figure 5 illustrates a top plan view of a further modification, and

Figure 6 illustrates a top plan view of the ring shown in Figure 5 in anopen position.

Referring specifically to the structure illustrated in Figures l, 2 and3, there is shown a key ring structure, preferably made of a flexibleplastic material, such as polyethylene having some torsional resilientquality and having the body section 1 of any desired length permittingit to be formed into a ring. The male end 2 of this ring is formed of anarrower section tapering slightly towards its tip 3. Centrally locatedon this male end 2 are a pair of barbs 4 oppositely positioned on themale end 2 over an arc of approximately 90. The other end of this keyring is formed as a female end 5 with a centrally located irregularlyshaped elongated recess 6. This recess 6 as is illustrated in Figure 3has at its outer end four arcuate sections 7 and 8 and 9 and 10. Thewalls of the recess 6 formed from the opposite arcuate section 7 and 8taper inwardly towards one another to gripping edges 11 and 12respectively well within the recess 6. These gripping and biting edges11 or 12 are partially formed by the opposite top and bottom openings 13and 14 respectively. These top and bottom openings 13 and 14 areprovided with straight transverse edges 2,871,691 Patented Feb. 3, 195915 and 16 on the side of the outer end of the recess 6, with thetransverse edges 15 and 16 inclined along the walls 17 and 18 to theedges 11 and 12 respectively. The center of the recess 6 is sufficientlylarge to contain the male end 2 with the barbs 4 positioned in theopenings 13 and 14 as is illustrated in Figure 2. The arcuate sections 9and 10, however, unlike the arcuate sections 7 and 8, do not taperinwardly towards the center, but rather extend parallel to the outerwall to the openings 13 and 14. These arcuate recessed elongatedsections 9 and 10 are spaced apart a distance greater than the distancebetween the extreme edges of the opposite barbs 4. Thus, in theoperation of this key ring, the extreme'end of the male end 2 may beturned around and pushed into the opening 6. As it is moved forwardthrough the opening illustrated in Figure 2, the barbs 4 will bearagainst the tapered sides extending from the arcuate sections 7 and 8.As the plastic forming the key ring has some resilience, the barbs 4will force the gripping edges 11 and 12 apart until the barbs themselveshave cleared these edges and are 'in the position as illustrated inFigure 2. The ring may readily be opened by twisting the male end untilthe barbs are aligned with the sections 9 and 10 and then readily pulledapart.

Referring to the modification illustrated in Figure 4,-

there is shown a key ring of material similar to that from which the keyring of Figure 1 is made. This modification is provided with anelongated body 30 of any desired length having a male end 31 anda'female end 32. The male end 31 is tapered slightly towards its tipwhere it has oppositely arranged barbs 33 and 34, preferably botharranged at the extreme tip of the male end 31. The female end 32 isprovided with a central longitudinally extending opening 35 having agenerally oval-cross section. The longitudinal side portion 36 of thisopening and the side portion opposite thereto, but not shown in Figure4, are parallel with one another and extend longitudinally from theextreme open end to the inner end 37 where they join and meet the side'walls of the openings 38 and 39. The upper and lower side sections 40and 41 respectively of this longitudinal opening 35 are inclined towardsone another from the open end'to the inner end 37. The width of thisopening 35 is suificient to permit the longitudinal passage of the maleend 31 when it is twisted so that the barbs 33 and- 34 are aligned withthe side longitudinal portion 36 and its'opposite portion. The upper andlower edges 40 and 41 should be sufiiciently close at their inner end sothat the corners 42 and 43 form a gripping edge which engages the rearsurfaces of the barbs 33 and 34. The vertically aligned openings 38 and39, preferably tapered at their sides are su'fiiciently large to receivethe barb tip of the male end 31 when in a locked position. Theseopenings 38 and 39 may be bevelled as illustrated for ease in one-piecemolding.

In the operation of this key ring, the barbs 33 and 34 which are in anormal untensioned position at right angles to the longest dimension ofthe opening 35 are turned so that they are aligned with thislongitudinal dimension. The male end is then pushed through the opening35 until the barbs clear the edges 42 and 43 at which point the tensionis released and the barbs 33 and 34 will normally turn approximately sothat they engage the edges 42 and 43. For removal, a reverse proceduremay be followed.

In Figures 5 and 6, there is illustrated a further modification of thepresent invention which utilizes the resilient features of the materialfrom which these key rings are made to a greater extent than thoseillustrated in Figures 1 and 4. In this modification a key ring having,an elongated body member 50 molded in a circular form has a male end 51and a female end 52. The male end 51, which may have the same diameteras the main portion ofthe body, is provided with projecting members 53arranged in opposite sides of the end 51. These projecting members 53and the male end 51 are adapted to be forced into the female end 52which is provided with a recess shaped of substantially the same size indiameter of the male end 51. On opposite sides of this opening 54 areprovided openings 56 normal to the opening through the end sufficientlylarge to receive the projection 53. Thus, in the operation of this keyring, the male end 51 is forced into the opening in the female end untilthe projections 53 become aligned with the openings 56 thereby engagingthem.

Having now described my invention, I claim:

1. A ring structure molded of resilient plastic material comprising abody having integrally formed interengagable male and female ends, apair of barbs molded as part of the male end and disposed on oppositesides of that end, a recess formed in the female end with itslongitudinal center coincident with the longitudinal center of thefemale end, opposite sides of the recess converging inwardly from thefemale end and each side terminating in an abruptly widened sectionformed by passages through the walls of the female end, said passagesreceiving the barbs when the male end is inserted in the recess, a pairof channels formed on opposite sides of the recess normal to theconverging opposite sides and extending outwardly from the passages,said channels being larger than the barbs and permitting withdrawal ofthe male end from the recess by twisting the male end so that the barbsare aligned with the channels.

2. A ring structure molded of resilient plastic material comprising abody having integrally formed interengagable male and female ends, apair of barbs molded as part of the male end and disposed on oppositesides of that end, a recess formed in the female end with itslongitudinal center coincident with the longitudinal center of thefemale end, opposite sides of the recess conver;

ing inwardly from the female end and each side terminating in anabruptly widened section formed by passages through the walls of thefemale end, said passages receiving the barbs when the male end isinserted in the recess, the width of the recess between the convergingsides at the inner end being substantially smaller than,

the Width of the male end across the barbs, the width of the recessnormal to the converging sides being larger than the width of the maleend across the barbs and permitting withdrawal of the male end from therecess by turning the male end so that the barbs are normal to theconverging sides.

3. A ring structure formed of an elongated tortionally resilient bodyhaving interengagable male and female ends, said male end having aprojecting barb, a recess formed in the female end and tapered inwardlyalong one axial plane to a narrow internal section, a passage formed inthe female end and extending outwardly from the narrower internalsection, thus providing an abutment against which the barb may bear whenthe male end is inserted into the recess, and a channel formed along therecess and displaced from the plane of the taper, said channel beinglarger than the barb whereby when the male end is twisted in the recessso that the barb registers with the channel the male end may bewithdrawn from the recess.

4. A ring structure as defined in claim 1 further characterized by saidbarbs being displaced inwardly from the end of the male end, and saidrecess extends inwardly in the female end beyond the passages.

5. A ring structure molded of resilient plastic material comprising abody having integrally formed interengagable male and female ends, apair of barbs molded as part of the male end and disposed on oppositesides of that end, a recess formed in the female end with itslongitudinal center line coincident with the longitudinal center line ofthe female end, four channels running longitudinally in the sides of therecess and forming two opposite pairs, the depth of the channels formingone of the pairs decreasing inwardly from the female end, a pair ofpasses extending radially outward from the inner ends of the channels ofdecreasing depth, said passages receiving the barbs When the male end isinserted into the recess, said recess being wider across the other pairof channels when the width of the male end across the barbs whereby themale end may be withdrawn from the recess by turning the barbs so thatthey register with said other pair of channels.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS195,400 Richard Sept. 18, 1877 376,453 Scott Jan. 17, 1888 938,723 SwanNov. 2, 1909 1,974,499 Luce Sept. 25, 1934 2,771,768 Tudor Nov. 27, 1956FOREIGN PATENTS 25,284 Great Britain Nov. 3, 1909

